Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention encompass systems and methods for use in identity authentication. One illustrative application is in the context of authenticating the identity of a subject by verifying items of identifying information stored by, or accessible through, a plurality of data sources. In particular, a multi-item query can be presented to multiple data sources and the results of the query can be combined into an overall composite result that can be used to authenticate the subject's identity.

Abstract: Methods of organizing a series of sibling data entities in a digital computer are provided for preserving sibling ranking information associated with the sibling data entities and for attaching the sibling ranking information to a joint parent of the sibling data entities to facilitate on-demand generation of ranked parent candidates. A rollup function of the present invention builds a rollup matrix (126) that embodies information about the sibling entities and the sibling ranking information and provides a method for reading out the ranked parent candidates from the rollup matrix in order of their parent confidences (141). Parent confidences are based on the sibling ranking information, either alone or in combination with n-gram dictionary ranking or other ranking information.

Abstract: Improvements are disclosed for further processing of a mail piece initially rejected from an automatic sorting machine. Supplemental automated processes are applied to read a bar code from the front of the piece, or read an ID Tag from the back of the piece. New labels can be applied to the front and or back sides of the piece automatically. Newly resolved address information can be applied the piece, following which it preferably is returned into the main sorting stream so that manual sorting is reduced, resulting in cost savings.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention encompass systems and methods for use in identity authentication. One illustrative application is in the context of authenticating the identity of a subject by verifying items of identifying information stored by, or accessible through, a plurality of data sources. In particular, a multi-item query can be presented to multiple data sources and the results of the query can be combined into an overall composite result that can be used to authenticate the subject's identity.

Abstract: A controlled database system is designed for rapid access of data records with reduced memory storage requirements. The database system employs a set of obfuscated data records stored in data crystals that can only be accessed and read by an iterator, which is not directly accessible by the users of the database. The iterator accesses information responsive to a predefined query sent from a customer application. Rather than providing general tools to customers for constructing any possible queries, such as is done in structured query language database systems, database systems embodying the present invention allow only predefined types of queries to be used by customer applications. By restricting the types of queries customer applications can call, valuable data records remain secure from unauthorized reconstruction or duplication while still allowing limited access for specific purposes.

Abstract: The present invention embodies a character recognition method for constructing a result string from a plurality of result sets. Each result set comprises at least one candidate character, and each candidate character has an associated confidence indication. The method can begin by selecting a plurality of character types. For each selected character type, a candidate string can be created by concatenating a candidate character of the selected character type from each result set. The associated confidence indication for each concatenated candidate character can be combined to form a corresponding combined confidence indication for each created candidate string. The created candidate string with the most favorable corresponding combined confidence indication can be selected as the result string.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses a self-orthogonal character recognition engine for executing an iterative method employing a database of predetermined character strings. The method receives a digital representation of a character string. It then generates a proposed result string by applying to the captured digital image a predetermined recognition routine including one or more recognition subroutines. Each recognition subroutine employs an initial parameter setting. Next, if the proposed result string does not match any of the predetermined character strings in the database, the initial parameter setting of a recognition subroutine is changed to a next setting. The recognition process is then repeated using the next parameter setting to generate and test a next result string. The process can be repeated iteratively until a result string is verified or the process times out.

Abstract: A controlled database system is designed for rapid access of data records with reduced memory storage requirements. The database system employs a set of obfuscated data records stored in data crystals that can only be accessed and read by an iterator, which is not directly accessible by the users of the database. The iterator accesses information responsive to a predefined query sent from a customer application. Rather than providing general tools to customers for constructing any possible queries, such as is done in structured query language database systems, database systems embodying the present invention allow only predefined types of queries to be used by customer applications. By restricting the types of queries customer applications can call, valuable data records remain secure from unauthorized reconstruction or duplication while still allowing limited access for specific purposes.

Abstract: A limited-access database system is designed for rapid access of data records with reduced memory storage requirements. The database system employs a set of obfuscated data records stored in data crystals that can only be accessed and read by an iterator, which is not directly accessible by the users of the database. The iterator accesses information responsive to a predefined query sent from a customer application. Rather than providing general tools to customers for constructing any possible queries, such as is done in structured query language database systems, database systems embodying the present invention allow only predefined types of queries to be used by customer applications. By restricting the types of queries customer applications can call, valuable data records remain secure from unauthorized reconstruction or duplication while still allowing limited access for specific purposes.

Abstract: Methods of organizing a series of sibling data entities in a digital computer are provided for preserving sibling ranking information associated with the sibling data entities and for attaching the sibling ranking information to a joint parent of the sibling data entities to facilitate on-demand generation of ranked parent candidates. A rollup function of the present invention builds a rollup matrix (126) that embodies information about the sibling entities and the sibling ranking information and provides a method for reading out the ranked parent candidates from the rollup matrix in order of their parent confidences (141). Parent confidences are based on the sibling ranking information, either alone or in combination with n-gram dictionary ranking or other ranking information.

Abstract: Methods of organizing a series of sibling data entities in a digital computer are provided for preserving sibling ranking information associated with the sibling data entities and for attaching the sibling ranking information to a joint parent of the sibling data entities to facilitate on-demand generation of ranked parent candidates. A rollup function of the present invention builds a rollup matrix (126) that embodies information about the sibling entities and the sibling ranking information and provides a method for reading out the ranked parent candidates from the rollup matrix in order of their parent confidences (141). Parent confidences are based on the sibling ranking information, either alone or in combination with n-gram dictionary ranking or other ranking information.

Abstract: This invention relates to the field of optical character recognition for data in drop-out forms. In the absence of permanent, fixed landmarks, this invention uses the structure of the entered data to provide a landmark to be used in solving various problems encountered in automated processing of drop-out forms. An expected data pattern is located in a scanned image and compared to a defined data pattern in a template form that serves as a reference.

Abstract: Human and machine readability of pre-printed forms that have been completed with user data is impeded where the user data overlaps zone descriptions, constraint boxes or other markings of the pre-printed form. A “form fracturing” methodology is described that includes processing the composite-image data so as to attach one or more shared pixels to a non-diagonally adjacent data pixel. The remaining form pixels can be removed, resulting in at least a useful approximation and often a complete recovery of the user data. Where blank-form data is not available, a “virtual dropout” technique allows for recovering user data from a pre-printed form using limited speckle size and configurations, constraining gray-scale value, or a combination of the two. The disclosed methodologies are conveniently implemented in software on any digital processor.